Archery arrows are used in various types of archery, including, for example, hunting and target archery. Target archery includes a variety of disciplines incorporating various equipment, target types, shooting distances, and governing rules.
For example, one type of target archery called “3D” involves the use of a variety of foam targets placed at different locations throughout a specified shooting range. In 3D target archery, the foam targets may be designed in the shape of a particular animal. Distances to the targets in 3D target archery may vary greatly, requiring a high level of skill in distance judgment and aiming. Another type of target archery involves the use of an indoor shooting range in which flat targets are positioned at a relatively short distance of 18 meters from an archer. One of the best known types of target archery is known as “Olympic style.” In Olympic-style target archery, archers use recurve bows to shoot arrows at traditional round targets placed at a distance of 70 meters from the archers.
Various types of target archery often involve the use of a target having a pattern of concentric circles on the target surface. The area between a larger concentric circle and the next smaller concentric circle defined within the larger concentric circle is known as a “point zone.” The point zones defined by the concentric circles typically increase in point value as the concentric circles decrease in diameter. For example, a point zone defined by a larger concentric circle on a target surface may have a point value of 9, while a point zone defined by the next smaller concentric circle within the larger concentric circle may have a point value of 10. The circles are typically defined by visible lines on the target surface. A common rule in various target archery disciplines is that if an arrow launched by an archer into a target lands at a position in the target that is mostly in a first point zone, but the arrow is touching a line bordering a second point zone having a higher point value, then the higher point value is awarded to the archer.
Archery disciplines may also involve either outdoor or indoor shooting ranges. At outdoor ranges, winds may be present that affect the trajectory of an arrow after it is shot by an archer. For example, cross winds may move an arrow away from an intended course.